PINELLAS CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT
PRACTICE ASSESSMENT
2012-13
Multiple Choice
1) The cell theory was first proposed in 1838. Evidence obrtained through additional
scientific investigations resulted in the current cell theory. Which statement best
describes a component of the original cell theory that was removed becaused of
new scientific knowledge?
a.
All living things are made of cells.
b. Cells form through spontaneous generation.
c. Cells are the basic structural and functional units of life.
d. All cells come from other preexisting cells.
2) There are some similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Which of the
following structures is found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
a. lysosome
b. mitochondrion
c. nucleus
d. ribosome
3) Terrestrial plants have stomata on the surface of their leaves. A single stoma is
surrounded by two guard cells that change shape in response to environmental
factors and open or close the stoma. Which of the following best explains how the
structure of the leaf if used in processes that occur in the plant?
a.
Water enters the plant through the surface of the leaf for transpiration.
b.
Gases for photosynthesis are exchanged through the surface of the leaf.
c.
Energy for cellular reproduction is absorbed through the surface of the leaf.
d.
Carbon dioxide enters the plant through the surface of the leaf for cellular
respiration.
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4) The illustration below shows four lobes of the human brain.
What lobe is designated by label 2?
a. temporal
b. parietal
c. occipital
d. frontal
5) The rate at which blood flows through the human body changes in response to
many factors. Which statement describes one of these factors and its effect on
blood flow?
a.
A high viscosity of blood causes an increased resistance in the blood
vessels and leads to slow blood flow.
b.
A low blood pH decreases the rate of diffusion through the blood vessels
and leads to slow blood flow.
c.
The changing of the shape of red blood cells to a crescent shape decreases
resistance and leads to a faster blood flow.
d.
The narrowing of blood vessels increases pressure and leads to a faster
blood flow.
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6) The immune system has both specific and nonspecific defenses against viral
infections. Which statement describes a nonspecific response of the immune
system in fighting viral infections?
a.
T cells are produced to search out and destroy the viruses.
b.
Memory B cells are activated to rapidly respond to the viral infection.
c.
Plasma cells quickly replicate and release antibodies that bind to the
viruses.
d.
Virus-infected cells produce interferons that lead to the inhibition of viral
replication.
7) The scientific theory of evolution is supported by different types of evidence. The
diagrams below show the skeletons of two different animal species.
How does comparing the skeletons of the animals below provide support for the
scientific theory of evolution?
a. It provides information about the organisms' habitats.
b. It shows possible common ancestry between organisms.
c. It provides information to determine the organisms' ages.
d. It shows possible chromosomal similarities between organisms.
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8) Organisms classified as fungi have unique characteristics. Which of the following
characteristics is found only in organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi?
a. single cells without a nucleus
b. multicellular with chloroplasts
c. multicellular filaments that absorb nutrients
d. colonies of single, photosynthetic cells that reproduce asexually
9) One of the accepted scientific theories describing the origin of life on Earth is
known as chemical evolution. According to this theory, which of the following events
would need to occur first for life to evolve?
a. onset of photosynthesis
b. origin of genetic material
c. synthesis of organic molecules
d. formation of the plasma membrane
10) Over time, the climate of an island became drier, which resulted in changes to the
populations of various island finch species. Finch populations with a certain beak
shape thrived, while those not having that beak shape decreased. Which of the
following describes a necessary condition for these changes in the finch
populations to occur?
a. fewer mutations
b. limited food resources
c. limited beak variations
d. overproduction of offspring
11) Hemophilia is a sex-linked, recessive trait. Which of the following describes the
probability of hemophilia in the offspring of a man who does not have hemophilia
and a woman who is a heterozygous carrier?
a. There is a 100% chance that their sons will have hemophilia.
b. There is a 25% chance that their sons will have hemophilia.
c. There is a 50% chance that their daughters will have hemophilia.
d. There is 0% chance that their daughters will have hemophilia.
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12) Genes for medically important proteins can be cloned and inserted into bacteria,
as shown in the diagram below.
Why can bacteria recognize a human gene and then produce a human protein?
a. DNA replication in bacteria and humans is the same.
b. Bacterial cells contain the same organelles as human cells.
c. The basic components of DNA are the same in humans and bacteria.
d. Bacterial cells and human cells contain the same kind of chromosomes.
13) While genetic engineering has positive benefits, there are also concerns
associated with widespread use of genetic engineering in agriculture. If many
farmers begin to plant more genetically modified crops that have an increased
tolerance to insects, which of the following may result?
a. an increase in the use of pesticides
b. a decrease in genetic diversity of the crops
c. an increase in the contamination of the water supply
d. a decrease in crop productivity on these treated fields.
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14) A fertilized egg undergoes several stages before it is successfully implanted. The
diagram below shows these stages as the fertilized egg travels through the female
human reproductive system.
In which of the following structures of the female human reproductive system is
the blastocyst implanted during normal human development?
a. ovary
b. uterus
c. vagina
d. amniotic sac
15) Mitosis and meiosis are processes involved in cellular reproduction. Which of the
following describes an event that results from mitosis but NOT meiosis?
a. daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell
b. two stages of cell division
c. replication of cellular genetic material
d. four daughter cells that are produced from each parent cell
16) The number of pythons found throughout Everglades National Park has increased
in recent years. These huge snakes are not native to Florida and are believed to
have been released into the wild by pet owners. Wildlife biologists have initiated
attempts to capture and remove these pythons. Which statement best explains
the biologists' reason for removing these pythons from the Everglades?
a.
The pythons could upset the territorial boundaries of native organisms.
b.
The pythons could adapt to overcome diseases common to native snakes.
c.
The pythons could prey on native organisms and cause native populations
to decline.
d.
The pythons could begin to interbreed with native snakes and produce a
more successful species.
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17) A team of ecologists observed feeding patterns of several populations in the
desert. The energy pyramid shown below depicts the feeding patterns the
ecologists observed.
Which of the following best explains the difference in the amount of available
energy in the trophic levels of the desert ecosystem?
a.
There is less energy available in the producers because their tissues are
less dense than those at higher trophic levels.
b.
There is more energy available in the second trophic level because less
energy is needed for hunting compared to the higher trophic levels.
c.
There is more available energy in the birds of prey because they have
greater muscle mass for storing energy than organisms in lower trophic
levels have.
d.
There is less available energy in the fourth trophic level because of the loss
of energy through metabolism in each of the lower trophic levels.
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18) Salt water is an abundant resource but unusable for irrigation and drinking. As
demands on freshwater sources increase, the use of desalination processes to
remove the salt from ocean water is increasing. A concern of desalinating water is
the large amounts of recovered salts that are returned to the ocean. Which of the
following describes the most likely impact of desalination on the surrounding
ocean environment?
a.
Methane gas would pollute the ocean environment as shoreline organisms
begin to die and decay.
b.
Alteration in ocean salt levels would cause loss of species and unbalanced
populations in marine food webs.
c.
Nonrenewable resources in the ocean environment would become
depleted and upset the ecosystem's balance.
d.
Increased levels of salts and minerals in the ocean would result in
overpopulation of marine bivalves dur to strengthened shells.
19) As food travels through the digestive system, it is exposed to a variety of pH
levels. The stomach has a pH of 2 due to the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl),
and the small intestine has a pH ranging from 7 to 9. HCl converts pepsinogen to
pepsin, an enzyme that digests proteins in the stomach. Which of the following
most likely happens to pepsin as it moves into the small intestine?
a. It becomes inactive.
b. It begins to replicate.
c. Its shape changes to engulf large proteins.
d. Its activity increases to digest more proteins.
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20) The diagram below shows the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular
respiration and the organelles in which they occur
Which statement describes how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are
interrelated?
a.
Oxygen is produced during cellular respiration and stored during
photosynthesis.
b.
Carbon dioxide and water released by cellular respiration are used in
photosynthesis.
c.
Photosynthesis releases the energy that is stored during the process of
cellular respiration.
d.
Glucose is used during cellular respiration to produce food that is broken
down during photosynthesis.
21) Water is essential for life. Its special properties make water the single most
important molecule in plant life. Which of the following properties of water enables
it to move from the roots to the leaves of plants?
a. water expands as it freezes
b. water is an excellent solvent
c. water exhibits cohesive behavior
d. water is able to moderate temperatures
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Passage for questions 22 to 24:
An estuary is a body of water in which fresh water draining from the land mixes with salt
water from the ocean. The result of this mixture is an environment with abundant plant
and animal life. The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary on Florida’s eastern
coast. It is a diverse estuary, supporting thousands of species of plants and animals.
The food web and food pyramid shown below are examples of the relationships that
exist in the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem.
22) Which of the following has the largest population in the Indian River Lagoon
ecosystem?
A. crab
B. egret
C. flounder
D. phytoplankton
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23) Which of the following statements most accurately describes the energy transfer
between the levels of the food pyramid in the Indian River Lagoon?
A. Energy stays in the phytoplankton at the lowest level.
B. Energy is released into the environment only from the egret.
C. Energy travels up from the phytoplankton to the clam worm.
D. Energy moves from the flounder to both the clam worm and egret.
24) In the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem, many organisms compete with one another
for food sources. Which organism in the food web competes with egrets for food?
A. clam worm
B. crab
C. flounder
D. heron
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